Ranked Number Three
by inashosetai
Summary: When his curiosity has him asking a question even he thought was strange, Inuyasha is glued to more than he bargained for. He certainly didn't expect a heart, soul, and mind to be placed in his hands. Dedicated to Hella.
1. Rank 1 - Sesshoumaru

******Disclaimer:** All InuYasha Cast © Rumiko Takahashi.

**Dedicated to:** the awesome writer, Hella! It has taken me a year and several months to write this chapter and the next ones! I hope you will follow it, Hella.

**Rank 1: **Sesshoumaru

Despair.

Like a plague, the moment Sesshoumaru had realized that Rin would die from old age, he had tasted despair for a third time. He was full of anger after the first two. Naturally, anger churned his body this third time. Those who knew him well, few in that, had probably already connected the dots.

Lord Sesshoumaru was just like his father, _risking everything—his life, his lands, his bloodline—to save a mortal being and halfling_.

Perhaps his mother had foreseen this when he was a pup. She had always hated Father's love for humans; she had despised their very existence. So she had fled like a frothing harpy, cursing him and his father to the netherworld and destroying his perception of the world.

That was the first time Lord Sesshoumaru had tasted despair.

Centuries later, the moment Sesshoumaru had found out that his father was courting a human, he had grown to despise them as well. His mother's bitter departure had still affected him. And soon he grew to despise his unborn sibling. So then he despised all half-breeds, too, because he had blamed both humans and halflings for the loss of his beautiful, powerful, ruthless, yet devoted mother. Shortly after he had welcomed this hatred, his great father had fallen against a mere human in order to save another human and halfling.

That was the second time Lord Sesshoumaru had tasted despair.

In the present, Lord Sesshoumaru at the lead and his two-headed dragon behind with his entourage, they headed east and the wind blew against them, carrying Inuyasha's scent. If not for the fact that he required Inuyasha's existence in order to possibly change the course of Rin's own fate, he may not be tracking the boy at all. Though...their familial relation may be playing a role in this as well.

Regardless, Inuyasha was a threat until his ailing condition was cured. His condition would create a mess out of Lord Sesshoumaru's plans. And Rin, who had always had Sesshoumaru's confidence, would take the brunt of the effects.

_"Have you someone to protect?"_ his father's words whispered inside him. The question swam in circles, echoing the sentiment that he had missed all those years ago. He heard loudly and clearly the endearment in his father's words. Endearment for him, for his mother, for the human lady, and for the unborn half-breed.

For him to hear it now, when years upon years have gone by... Did that make him a horrible son? A contemptible being? Because, truthfully, being faced with Rin's imminent death, Lord Sesshoumaru felt more than lacking, like a blind child seeking direction from a long deceased father. He had wasted Rin's few precious years, and still she would be pitted against the might of Inuyasha's _power_.

This whole situation was deplorable.

Humans were normally unaffected by this _power_. They simply couldn't be. So humans were the only ones who could protect others from its viciousness, but by doing so, they supposedly lost their immunity against _the power_ and it would seek to destroy them as well. All it would take was the slightest of physical contact. Then they would be dead.

_"This Sesshoumaru has no one to protect,"_ he had replied years later when he and Inuyasha had fought Sou'unga.

Bubbling, rising anger of incompetence built within him.

_'She can't be saved, Father?'_

Even the old tree Bakusen'O offered little guidance. Sesshoumaru was on his own, just like he had always wanted when he had sent his father to his death. He recoiled.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken screamed through the harsh, billowing winds. "Is something the matter?"

The wind undulated in rage, especially with the closing proximity between the siblings. Sesshoumaru's plans were setting in motion, so he tried to ignore the fumes in his brother's scent. His half-brother was nearly gone, if not already. The taint was of foul death—an unfair death to Inuyasha and a death-dealer to any weak demons.

How foolish and utterly frustrating.

Floating down onto a narrow dirt pathway, Lord Sesshoumaru landed with his entourage. The two-headed dragon snorted and shuffled its feet, sensing his ire and quivering under the foul fumes.

"Bleurgh!" Jaken covered his face. "What is that smell?"

Rin patted Ah-Un's necks to comfort them. Time was against all of them.

"Inuyasha is near," he spoke. Perhaps his half-brother would do something right for once in his life. That in itself required the Lord of the West to guarantee safe passage. And he would. No matter how twisted their relationship was, he always felt a connection, a pull toward the boy, and now, Rin's life hung in the balance between them. There would be no more "this Sesshoumaru." There would be no more idling his time away when he felt like it.

There would be "us." We. Together. And a constant shadowing of his brother and vice versa.

The thought was nearly nauseating.

Jaken squawked indignantly. "What is that half-breed doing in me lord's—bukaw!"

Rin pushed the toad's head further into the seat. "Ye have not wizened at all, Master Jaken. What ails ye, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"Rin," he said, "will you erect a powerful barrier around the castle? None must be able to enter or exit, nor detect it for a full moon cycle."

_You may very well die in the process,_ went unsaid, but the old woman's eyes flickered with understanding.

Jaken escaped her gnarled grip and raised his head, mouth agape. "Bu-bu-but...me lord? Her priestess powers will purify everything! None of the demons in the castle will survive!"

Rin shook her head slowly, exasperated by the toad's inability to read between the lines. "Lord Sesshoumaru means to have me resist purification. It is the ultimate trial for a priestess of goodness. If I am careless, it shall put me in the lines of a dark priestess."

"What!" Jaken screamed. He hopped around frantically and whimpered. "Oh, no, no, no. Lord Sesshoumaru will surely have my head if anything happens to Rin."

"Jaken," he cut in, effectively stopping the rant. "Tonight, you will have two days to collect food that will last a full moon cycle. Should you fail, return the staff of two heads and dare not cross paths with this Sesshoumaru again."

The imp choked on his breath, his buggy eyes growing wider. "Me lord! I will do everything in my powers to succeed! I will never fail you, me lord!"

Rin slid off of the two-headed dragon and lowered herself to her knees. She knew his actions. She knew his gestures. That was more than Sesshoumaru could say for his father. She bowed until her forehead touched the ground. Then she raised herself and stubbornly kept her tears at bay.

"My only regret," she said, "is that I may not be able to see ye again. For all that ye have done for me, I shall return it with everything I have." Then, truly understanding him, she sadly said, "Ye pain shall be rewarded. No righteous world would take both brother and ward from ye. Lord Sesshoumaru, have hope."

"Hope," he nearly spat.

He narrowed his eyes at the death imps that vigorously pranced around her, snickering and poking each other with their pitchforks. They had come and gone several times, but recently they had stayed for longer intervals, and today was one of those days. The twitch of a sneer was just below the surface of his composure. But then the wind picked up, restless, desperate, beckoning him. He would answer the cry immediately. But first...

"This Sesshoumaru shall grant your request from long ago," he spoke softly, bringing an abrupt stiffness to the old woman's body.

"Lord Sesshoumaru..." she whispered. With a shaky breath, her tears fell. "Thank ye, my lord. Thank ye."

His fingers curled into a fist, hidden in the folds of his kimono. He had spent the past ten years searching for a way to save her. The little that he had found was enough to guide him. Whether it was the right direction would soon be seen. The fact that his half-brother needed to be involved at all was frustrating. The three of them were completely interwoven into this "changing one's fate" business. He knew too little about this path, and Inuyasha's streak for wrecking everything would be...just _devastating_.

Should things turn out badly, it would be a killing blow to Sesshoumaru.

"Return home," he said to his pack, knowing they would. Without another glance, he headed into the deep forests of his great father's lands.

_"This Sesshoumaru shall grant your request from long ago,"_ his voice echoed.

The winds curled around him, turning into thrashing hurricanes as the promise of a pure-blooded dog-demon howled into the skies. The promise shook the grounds of this plane before settling in a thumping, rhythmic motion of pink heat that spread from his figure. Slowly but surely, the heat led him to his other promise, one that he had made decades ago when he was keeping a vigil on a pregnant human princess.

Stepping up to the mouth of a rank cavern, he tracked the scent of disease to the back of the cave. His half-feral sibling perked up, crouched in a defensive position, imitating a growl with elongated fangs and white eyes. Blind, Sesshoumaru knew. The curse had also taken the boy's voice and sense of smell, and soon, his hearing would be completely taken as well.

Sesshoumaru could not say whether he was glad that the curse fell upon the second children in their great family's bloodline.

"You have suffered much," he said, "and you must suffer more."

He went to his last kin and settled down beside him. He tentatively reached out to awkwardly pat the grungy hair. Inuyasha dropped his useless defense and lied down, appalled and unable to react any differently. Starvation and weakness must be crushing him. He looked like skin and bones.

"There is nothing that this Sesshoumaru can do." The truth of the matter weighed heavily on him. "You are in the final stages of our blood, so you shall die here. Will you hear the cause of your demise? Nod if you will listen."

The half-breed nodded and the aristocrat felt very human. Rin would be ecstatic to know that she had changed him so much. Sadly, she would not be privy to this detail in her human life.

"Sixty-three years ago, we defeated Naraku together. Later, this Sesshoumaru gave you a warning. Perhaps you remember it now."

Inuyasha scrunched up his eyebrows, thinking. Sesshoumaru would have smiled mockingly if their situation were any other. There were no words to describe his circumstances, but "unfortunate" came very close because Inuyasha's death would mean the final death of Rin herself. Just one mistake from the half-demon, even his unnatural death, would rip all of Sesshoumaru's promises to shreds, in turn weakening his demonic energy substantially.

That would be the ultimate disgrace to him and their bloodline.

"You discarded the warning," he continued lightly. It was easy to speak as though he could care less since he had so many centuries of practice. However, all of their futures looked bleak, and he understood the importance of sounding...caring, because that was what his half-brother sought. He would have to put more effort into sounding that way.

Inuyasha's hands curled; he could not deny his ignorance and bull-headedness. Lord Sesshoumaru did not need to hover around in order to figure out that his half-brother had ignored the very real threat against his health as much as he had paid attention to the threats against that human village of his.

"You ignored it until the very last moment. Careless." Sesshoumaru softened his tone as much as possible. After all, he was supposed to sound caring. It hurt his pride just a bit. "But this Sesshoumaru wants you to know that he understands that you tried."

The half-demon froze. Suddenly, silent tears erupted to the surface and leaked as carelessly as his brother had been living these past few years. The boy must have suffered exponentially. Sesshoumaru could imagine that all of his human friends had died from old age while Inuyasha had been away. With the curse having effectively gripped him before his friends' time, the half-demon had probably fled the moment he realized he was a danger to them.

Then there was the matter of _the one_ who should have responded, _the one_ who Inuyasha had likely called when he became too weak.

The one who did not answer.

Sesshoumaru patted Inuyasha's head with a little more desperation, anger roiling inside him. If he knew nothing else of his half-brother, then he at least knew that even the slightest bit of affection from someone who Inuyasha shared a long history with, however misguided this affection, would stoke the boy's desire to live. The half-breed would have a new goal. He would undoubtedly seek out more of this untoward affection until the day he died. Lord Sesshoumaru only sought his will to live, but he would put up with the latter in order to possibly change the course of Rin's fate.

"You did your best," he attempted at comfort. "If only that thing had heeded your call." Like the human princess from his memory. Ah, yes, that was perfect. "Hear the story of your beginnings. Perhaps it shall save you from this miserable fate."

Inuyasha did not respond.

"Father was the purest-blooded demon in our history. His blood was so ancient, so old, that it came with a wretched curse. When this Sesshoumaru reached fifty years, Father revealed the secret of our blood. That secret must remain between us, and you must respect him at all costs.

"He treated the curse like a poison. He searched far and wide for a cure, for a hundred years. Then the curse had him. For over fifty years, he battled against death because he would not forsake his son. It was during his last days that this Sesshoumaru found your mother."

Inuyasha stiffened.

"Peculiar little human. Everyday, she came from the far east to stand at the edge of our borders. She raved beneath her breath until she pulled her hair. Her attendants would always take her back, but she would always return. On the night of the new moon, when Father was weakest, the princess crossed the borders. The woodlands were infested with hungry demons. They would have eaten her, had this Sesshoumaru ignored her.

"She found our great father as if a trail had led her to him. Perhaps she did follow a trail, unseen to all but herself. Your mother spoke with our father. Then an energy surged through our lands and killed all of the weaker demons. Regrettably, this Sesshoumaru was forced into a slumber that lasted a full moon cycle. The events during that time was never mentioned. However, Father had found the cure."

His half-brother gasped.

"Yes," he said. "Our great father had called your mother and she had answered." With one last brush to Inuyasha's dirty hair, he stood. "I am your blood brother. I am Sesshoumaru. I am Lord of the Western Lands, your one and only lord, and your last kin."

He turned away and never looked back.

"Farewell, dear brother," his voice echoed. "I will welcome you if you live."

He exited the cave and the wind surged around him, turning into stinging hurricanes. The promise of a pure-blooded dog-demon howled into the skies, settling into a rhythmic pink heat across the land. Never again would he give a promise of loyalty. Three was enough for his lifetime; this third one was necessary to convince the demon inside of his brother.

Lord Sesshoumaru set forth for his castle where the aged Rin would welcome him before performing her last duty. He had faith that Inuyasha would defy death if only to yell at him one last time.


	2. Rank 2 - Kouga

**Disclaimer:** All InuYasha Cast © Rumiko Takahashi.

**Dedicated to:** the awesome writer, Hella! Thank you for inspiring me to write this!

* * *

**Rank 2: **Kouga

Sixty-three years ago, when they had killed Naraku, Kouga was dazed from his grief for his fallen comrades, his numerous injuries, and his blood loss, but he still saw Kagome vanish into thin air. With a bewildered, uncertain expression, she had looked away and turned into bubbles, simply disappearing.

"When the sacred jewel became whole and Kagome purified it," Miroku had speculated, "she must have run out of time. Thus, the future took her where she stood."

That night, while everyone had sat around the campfire to ruminate on the monk's words, Miroku had explained Kagome's time to Kouga. The wolf-demon had been feeling out of place all day, so his sights had automatically locked onto Inuyasha just in time to catch the half-breed slump against a tree, hidden in the darkness. The lost, defeated look on the mutt's face was excruciating. It left a sore spot in Kouga's chest, which burned as he realized nobody else seemed to notice Inuyasha's pain. Even the cat-demon and fox kit were immune.

The next few days were spent traveling to the Bone Eater's Well. The wolf prince had prayed that the monk had been wrong. If not for the fact that he would never see his woman again, then for the fact that Kagome was too kind-hearted to turn away from Inuyasha in their last moment together. Through their challenges, triumphs, and petty arguments, Kagome had become somewhat of a savior to the half-breed. Kouga was aware of at least that much. So he prayed and hoped and prayed some more that Kagome's last act was not betrayal.

Despite his silent prayers, the moment Inuyasha had jumped into the well, Kouga knew that the monk was right. Kouga need only see the top of the mutt's head to know that the mutt would be camping in the well. So he left for his wolf people.

As a pack leader himself, if he had been protecting his own for four years and at the very end of it all, he had received the other cheek, that betrayal would have eaten him alive. He could only imagine the pain that Inuyasha was enduring.

It wasn't until thirteen years later that he saw a vision on the night of the new moon. He was certain that a spectacular event would take place. Or that it had already taken place and that he was currently riding the aftereffects.

In his vision, he saw a heart-shaped ruby sitting on the Bone Eater's Well. It thrummed with energy and waited patiently as though it had done so for decades. Not only was it shaped like a heart. It also beat like a heart and bled like a heart. Its blood almost covered the entire side of the well that it sat upon.

The jewel's heartbeats were in sync with Inuyasha's. Kouga knew because whenever they had roughed it out, he had too many drawn-out, bodily contact with the half-breed. They might have spat and screamed at each other's face the entire time, but Kouga was a demon who thrived on touch alone, so he was very aware of his person and exactly where the dog's hands had landed every time the half-breed punched, slapped, or grappled him. More than once, he had been caught off guard by Inuyasha's arms, legs, or body sprawled indecently across his own.

True, the other man didn't notice, but Kouga did. And that was what had caused great, internal conflicts; up to the point where he was distracted enough for the mutt to overpower him. That was why the wolf-demon could recognize the dog's heartbeat from miles away. It was usually how he had tracked down the mutt and his pack because Kouga always needed to be on his toes in order to quickly put up his mental defenses against Inuyasha.

Kouga gave the blood-covered jewel a once-over before he went and plopped down beside it. He tried to ignore the red substance that got on him. The ruby lit up, casting beams of red light around them.

"What do you want?" he asked.

Its rhythmic thumping spiked, just like how Inuyasha's heartbeat spiked whenever he grew excited. Or irritated.

Kouga felt re-connected to his rival and comrade who he had not seen in thirteen years. Thirteen years rarely changed a demon's heart and mind, especially Kouga's since he would live for centuries and even millenniums to come, but he had regretted being only arrogant to the half-demon in the four years that they had known each other. There were many occasions in which he had balked at his missed opportunities to show the half-breed that they could be allies outside of the battlefield.

Reminiscing their petty arguments, he spoke kindly. "I can read you like the back of my hand."

The ruby beat faster.

"I haven't seen you this angry in years."

He laughed and turned to the full, red moon. The night was cold with frost. There was definitely a significance in meeting Inuyasha here. For what reasons, and why the mutt took the form of a heart-shaped ruby, Kouga didn't know. So he focused on what he did know.

"You deserved better. Kagome shouldn't have done that to you. I might not like your guts but you're a good leader. If I find out that you're blaming yourself over this, I'm going to kick your ass twice over."

The heartbeat relaxed.

Oh, he had felt guilty for leaving Inuyasha with the humans. That was one of many of his regrets concerning the half-breed. Inuyasha's pack wouldn't have understood pack bonds. Or maybe that demon-slayer did. But Kouga should have stayed and found a way to comfort the dog. That was the least he could have done for all the times that Inuyasha had aided him.

He unconsciously placed his hand on the ruby, flinching at the touch of warm blood.

Shifting away awkwardly, he mumbled out, "Sorry."

The ruby gleamed. It staunched the flow of blood and beat quickly, the beats bringing a sense of arrogance and camaraderie. Kouga couldn't help but look elsewhere with a smirk on his lips. He hoped that his next words brought some sense of delight to Inuyasha, even though it didn't bring any to him.

"I've decided to take a mate."

The heart fluttered strangely.

"I am asking Ayame at the break of dawn. I wanted you to know because you deserve to know. You're a worthy ally. We don't have the best history, but I would lay down my life for you if things got rough."

The jewel thumped faster, the rhythm shifting again before slowing. Then the jewel glowed happily.

Kouga grinned. "Just keep that to yourself, alright? I have a reputation to keep up."

They sat together until sunrise. And when the wolf-demon woke, he thought that he felt remnants of Inuyasha's presence. A heavy weight had been lifted from his chest, so he sought out Ayame and proposed to her.

That was the last time he felt Inuyasha's presence.

No amount of visiting Kaede's village had brought any encounters with the half-breed. Kouga didn't understand the need to see the brazen dog. Inuyasha was simply different from everyone, so it stood to reason that he also garnered a strange attention from Kouga. There had been several instances in which Kouga had even ventured into the human's village to catch Inuyasha in small talk. The wolf prince didn't do small talk. But he would have willingly done it if he had met up with the thick-headed mutt.

During one of his visits, a ghastly fever drove him to bed. He was stuck in Kaede's village for days until Ginta and Hakkaku retrieved him. Since then, the farthest he had traveled was the borders of his lands.

His tribe's expectations had him half-heartedly courting Ayame. He was too busy lying sick in bed to do much else. But he spent time with her whenever he was conscious and well enough. He grew to love her.

Many years later, he had an oddly expected dream. In his dream, he was sifting through an ancestral tome. It had images of battles being waged, canines howling to the moon, and loyal subjects going to the canines. The pictures were crude at the very best, but the story was clear. In one story, a canine howled to the moon and its loyal subject did not go to it. The subject instead wandered the land and the canine became ill. Then the subject became ill as well, and when the canine died from the illness, so did the subject.

Kouga woke with a chilled heart. The dream was a recount of ancient demon history. It whispered to him that no one else but he was allowed this knowledge. His instincts should have picked up the ancient call and responded immediately.

For someone who always followed his instincts, there was one instance in which he had ignored them. On that fateful day, right before he had proposed to Ayame, his instincts had gone awry. He had felt like his skin was being suctioned into his bones, but he had bore the pain to propose to her. By doing so, he had missed the ancient call.

An inexcusable error.

He spent the next ten years searching for the ancient demon who had called him. All while a ruthless loss was buried deeply in his chest and a fierce wretchedness ate away at his ability to reason. Sometimes he thought he saw flashes of red in the trees. Sometimes he thought he saw a spirit sitting by his bedside. Other times, he thought he was standing by the other demon who was curled up in pain, in darkness.

Yet here he was, thinking about sixty-three years ago, a time in which he had abandoned a comrade at the Bone Eater's Well.

Kouga had expected to live a long life, so he had thought that he could put his gratitude off for another time. But now that he was dying and he may be dead by the end of tonight, he desperately wanted to thank Inuyasha once before he passed away. He knew an unrealistic dream when he saw one.

Though the fever still kept him dizzy and half-nauseous, he stood in a crouched position at the borders of the eastern and western lands, gazing longingly into the western forest. Inuyasha was in there somewhere. Kouga felt it. And he would have sought him out too if the lands were smaller and narrow.

"If you would tell me where you are, I would be there immediately," he whispered.

Perhaps after he died, his soul could seek out the half-breed to thank him. Otherwise, if he still had even a slim chance of surviving so that he could one day find the stubborn dog, he prayed that the ancient demon would call him again before it was too late. He would even leap into fire if that was needed.

He stayed in the field while the sun rose from the horizon. A morning mist was settled low around the area. The sun continued rising until the mist cleared, and still, there were no signs of guidance from the demon. Kouga wished he had thanked Inuyasha all those years ago.

He jolted from his thoughts as a glowing red pebble appeared in the grass. One by one, more pebbles trailed into the western lands. Shocked, and still quite unbelieving, he didn't have to wonder if he was seeing things. The ancient demon was calling him.

In a trance, he quickly went for the pebbles and the silence was broken by Ginta's shout.

The pebbles vaporized. Turned into red mist and disappeared.

"No..." he breathed out, his chest constricting. Now he had no chances of survival, no chances of meeting Inuyasha again.

Ginta pulled him back a few feet before his thoughts truly sank in. He howled in rage and tossed the smaller wolf-demon aside, snarling as the demon landed on his feet.

"How could you?" he questioned. "How dare you?"

Hakkaku stepped in between them quickly, shielding the wide-eyed Ginta.

"Kouga, you've been ill for many years," Hakkaku rushed out. "You need to stay calm or else the fever will get worse. The healer said–"

"Don't insult me!" The change in topic had been disorienting, but his train of thoughts were now on the same pages as theirs. "I heard everything crisp and clear. Both of the elders are plotting to overthrow me by having me mate with her. Traitors! I thought you two were my best friends, but you're with them, too."

Hakkaku furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief.

"We're going to break the curse tonight," he said shakily. "I'm so sorry it took us so long to find the demon who cast it. Two of our three scouts were killed. The last one came back with coordinates in Lord Sesshoumaru's lands."

Ginta continued, "We're positive we found the right place. The demon has the same scent that has been on you since you got sick. We'll save you. You don't need to worry anymore."

Kouga flexed his claws. They knew where the ancient demon was.

"Where?" he demanded.

Ginta nervously turned to Hakkaku.

The other demon said, "The sun is high. If we left right now, we would get there before sunset, but the demon will kill us. The best of our warriors is not enough. The best of the northern wolves are protecting their own tribe, so they can't help. Shunran sent for aid from her brother and sisters, though. It's been well over four days but they will get here tonight. They've been traveling at a steady pace to conserve their energy."

"I didn't ask for unnecessary details," he raged. "Where is the location?"

"At our old...campsite."

Their panicked expressions and sudden, brittle gestures toward each other raised the hairs on Kouga's tail. Backup would arrive soon to take him to the tribe. He straightened from his defensive crouch and gazed at them intensely. His expanding aura caught their attention. For a brief moment, their wide, glorifying eyes returned him to the magnificent mindset of his former self: a true leader who cared deeply about his tribe, avenged his fallen comrades, welcomed half-breeds into their tribe, and loved Ayame dearly.

Once their admiring gazes became suspicious, though, the scope of his mindset narrowed to his present self, a demon with an overdue call.

He spoke in an unyielding tone. "As your leader, I order you to protect the den with your lives. You will hold power over all until my return."

The two of them gasped.

"In my place, you will cease all current searches, plans, and transgressions."

"No..." Ginta breathed out. "You don't know what you're saying, Kouga. You would risk...forfeit your place in our pack for...for what? No, no, no. You don't know what you're saying! We can deal with this! We can take care of the demon for you!"

The wolf prince bared his fangs. "If you value what is left of our friendship, you will do what I said." He turned around and, at the sight of the red pebbles, felt an enormous relief, though he knew the exact location of the demon. Reassured by the demon's call, he said, "I will come home after the next new moon."

His promise shook and echoed in the trees around them. He entered the western lands.

Tonight, the moonless sky would open the doorway for death. His soul would be judged and his life would be forfeit. The glowing red pebbles led him to his future.


	3. Rank 3 - Inuyasha

**Disclaimer:** All InuYasha Cast © Rumiko Takahashi.

**Dedicated to:** the awesome writer, Hella!

**A/N:** Thank you, reviewers! Glad to know that you enjoyed my story. The quality support is much appreciated.

**Rank 3: **Inuyasha

Deep in the grips of slumber, Inuyasha sat on a bed of roses that laid at the center of four barriers. A thick mist warmed his seven-year-old body and simultaneously slashed at the muddy blobs that attempted to cross the barriers. Each cut multiplied the blobs. The mist rose to the surface and several beams of light pulsed from it, arcing along the round barrier to smash into the blobs on the ground. They burned to ash. The beams of light strengthened the outermost barrier, electrocuting enemies that came too close.

Inuyasha asked, "Why are they doing that?"

The mist came down from the barriers and said, "They seek to hurt you."

"But why would they hurt me?" He sank into the roses and gathered them over him like a blanket. "I haven't done anything to them."

The mist created a hand and brushed his hair until he felt sleepy.

"That is why I must protect you. You are innocent, but your demons have haunted you for ages. They will always seek to hurt you."

Uncertainly, he hummed and let the matter go.

"I want to see Mother again." He snuggled up to the mist as it shape-shifted into a replica of his mother. With his arms curled around her waist, he asked, "When will she come for me?"

"In time, little one. In time."

_"Time is what you do not have, Inuyasha. You must call when the desire comes."_

He jerked from the embrace and looked out at the barriers. A tall white figure appeared, the blobs splitting and giving it a wide berth as the figure came within inches of the barrier. It raised its hand and let its fingertips slide down the shield, sizzling from the contact. The blobs hissed and shifted a safer distance away.

_"Is that your answer? You will live with these humans instead of taking what is rightfully yours?"_

Inuyasha furrowed his eyebrows and looked for answers from the mist. When it didn't speak, he asked, "Who's that? What does he mean?"

_"Do what you wish. However, remember that our blood is unique. It shall come for you when you least expect it. Then, this Sesshoumaru shall see the fruits of your efforts, for you are a strong and determined half-demon."_

The mist spoke, "It is a trick to lure you outside."

"A trick?" he whispered, horrified.

"Yes. Do you remember what your mother said?"

"Mother said to wait right here. Mother is always right. Why are those things trying to hurt me?"

"That is their nature."

He squeezed his eyes shut and wrapped his arms around the mist again.

_"Our great father had called your mother and she had answered."_

The mist said, "It says that your mother left you."

"No she didn't!" he yelled at the figure. He shook his head furiously. "You're lying!"

The voice grew fiercer, beckoning him to come over. _"I am your blood brother. I am Sesshoumaru."_

"Mother told me to wait here, you liar!"

_"I am Lord of the Western Lands, your one and only lord, and your last kin."_

Kin. Kin. Mother had always said to trust in kin.

Inuyasha glanced at the transparent figure. The blobs started expanding and contracting wildly. He gasped, turning back to the mist. Tears stung his eyes.

"That man _is_ tricking me," he said, wrought with confusion. "He said he was my kin! So I thought that maybe he was telling the truth. He sounds mean but he doesn't sound like a liar. But those slimy things look like...like they're so happy because of him. And you said those things would hurt me, so that man must want to hurt me, too. Make them go away, please?"

The mist remained silent.

_"Farewell, dear brother."_

Inuyasha whipped around, his eyes wide as he watched the figure retreat.

"No, wait!" he yelled. "I'm sorry I called you a liar! Don't leave me here alone. Please!" He stood from the roses and indecisively trailed after the being. "Wait, I said!"

_"I will welcome you if you live."_

The man's voice echoed, his promise flushing through Inuyasha's body like a cool massage. The half-demon stumbled uncontrollably. He slowly ran after the man, picking up the pace as power filled his limbs. The man was nearly out of sight when the mist screeched painfully. Frightened, Inuyasha ran faster, the mist looming over him.

"No!" Inuyasha called out. "Don't leave me! I don't want to stay here anymore!"

The mist screeched louder.

"Don't leave me! Please. Take me with you!"

He crossed the first barrier and his figure shifted; he grew a couple of inches. The mist howled and rammed into the barrier, trapped inside. Inuyasha passed through the second barrier and grew taller. The blobs jumped excitedly. He crossed the third one and his muscles gained mass. Then he passed through the fourth barrier and emerged in his true form, just a head shorter than the translucent figure who was now out of sight.

"Sesshoumaru, you bastard!" He barreled past the animated blobs. "I'm going to kick your ass to the next world! How dare you leave me for dead like a common mongrel! I expected you to at least gut me and revive me. Then gut me again. Not that I would've let your sorry ass do that."

He caught a glimpse of his half-brother before he heard his friends.

"Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha!"

They called repeatedly. Turning around, he came face-to-face with Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Kagome, all wrapped up in the slime that the mist had been destroying. His breath left in a whoosh. He watched the blobs continue to morph into his comrades.

He stuttered out, "What the hell is going on...? What happened to you...?"

Gashes covered their bodies. Blood and pus oozed from each laceration as though the wounds had been reopened multiple times. The mist behind them whirled out of control, scattering rose petals everywhere. Its turbulent winds compressed into a small ball. Then colorful beams of light streaked out of it, poking holes through the four barriers. Dark blue slime dripped into the interior, the holes expanding as a jewel became visible inside the mist.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "The sacred jewel. What is it doing on this side of the well?"

With a long, shuddering groan, the barriers collapsed and the blue gunk covered the wilted roses. From the jewel dripped a thin, glowing whip, growing longer and longer until it nearly touched the ground. Rapidly, the whip flew at Inuyasha and caught him.

"What the hell?!" Inuyasha struggled.

The whip tightened until it drew blood. Inuyasha cried out as it threw him to the ground, holding him immobile. The jewel spoke in a distorted quality made up of four voices.

"Your wish shall now be granted."

"Hold your high horses," he spat out in terror and confusion as the jewel started twinkling. "I didn't make any wishes! Stop!"

It gleamed and then its light swept over him. One by one, his memories flashed in front of him before they turned to sand.

_"Mother, what's a half-demon?" he had asked, watching the tears collect in her eyes._

_"Are you my brother?" he had asked, watching adoringly as the air settled around the being who had saved him from three ogres._

_"Sacred jewel? Never heard of it," he had said, hiding his human form in the branches while he kept a vigil on the hurt priestess._

_"Hello, Kikyou," he had mocked, smirking at the oddly dressed girl. "Playing with bugs now, are we? Why are you taking so long to kill it? Just do her like you did me."_

_Picking the kit up by his bushy tail, he had said, "Hm. Feisty little thing, aren't cha? Nice tail. Looks like a badger or a squirrel."_

_He had stepped up to the thieving monk and said, "Funny, that's just what I was thinking. But I guess not all of us are blessed with good looks and brains."_

_Glaring at the vengeful demon slayer, he had asked, "Hey, what are you coming after me for?"_

_He had given the funny-looking wolf-demon a determined look when he had said, "Huh, so you're the one controlling this blood-thirsty pack."_

The memories came and went. Love, hurt, anger, family. They all vanished and left him to settle. What remained was his name, a scent with a blurry image of a person's back, and the knowledge of his dire, physical condition. Darkness drew him into slumber.

When he awoke, it was to blindness and the ability to hear and speak. Clawed fingers stroked his bangs. The hand was cool against his flushed skin. He relished the touch because an edge of panic was starting to build.

With unseeing eyes staring wide open, he asked, "Who are you?"

The other person continued the combing. Then spoke in a deeper voice. "I am your mate and you are mine, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's ears buzzed to life, the man's voice glossing him like fine oil. He sniffed the man and desired the return of his sense of smell. Blind, he could withstand, but he wanted to scent his mate so that he could re-familiarize himself.

"What's your name?" he asked.

The man replied, "You did not call me, so I do not have a name."

"Oh."

He felt around until one of his hands touched fur. The blurry image of an armor-clad back enticed him. Strangely, this memory put a heavy weight on his tongue. He could barely lift the appendage to speak.

"Kouga?" he asked almost groggily. So weak. His energy had been sapped like a drying pool in a desert, and he didn't know why or how. But he continued. "Is that your name?"

"Yes, my name will be Kouga."

"Oh... Well that's good. Will you say my name again?"

"Inuyasha."

He paused for a long moment. Then he mumbled, "...one more time?"

"Inuyasha."

The voice was like a blessed spring. Inuyasha liked it.


	4. 1 - Sesshoumaru's Dream

******Disclaimer:** All InuYasha Cast © Rumiko Takahashi.

**Dedicated to:** the awesome writer, Hella!

**A/N:** Just wanted to thank Sakurapetals217 for giving the best and definitely more creative reviews!

* * *

**Chapter 1: **Sesshoumaru's Dream

The Lord of the West was dreaming. He stood as a specter on the side and watched his dream self scent the air for his half-brother. On that day, Inuyasha had smelled far too human, which had captured Sesshoumaru's interest in a fierce grip.

His dream self tracked the scent deeper into the woods at a steady pace. He followed. Already, he was feeling disgusted and irritated that his foolish half-brother always skewered his aid into something of a nightmare. It was no wonder why he was inclined to punch a hole in the boy's stomach. That was the most effective way to shut him up.

_Sesshoumaru found the boy taking a stroll in the wheat of a glade, completely uncaring or completely unaware of his surroundings. There was no way his half-brother would intentionally leave himself open for an attack. His posture was tense. For him to be unaware of the demons prowling about..._

_The aristocrat entered the glade noisily._

_Inuyasha perked up immediately and rounded on him. His hand went to his waist to grasp at Tessaiga. Shock razed the half-demon's expression. Sesshoumaru almost lifted an eyebrow._

_"You are without Tessaiga?" he asked. The demon lord glided across the small clearing, inspecting his brother's choice for wear. "No fire-rat for protection either? It is a miracle that you have survived."_

_"Shut your trap!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "If all you're here for is to make fun of me, then you can turn your ass around before I rip a new one in you."_

_Sesshoumaru's lips twitched. "Your vulgarity is repulsive. Perhaps you should take account of your circumstances before you speak, half-breed."_

_Inuyasha growled. "Oh, I know where this is going. I'll just walk myself outta here before you even start."_

_He turned left and stomped his way about, creating a path in the shoulder-height grass. Inuyasha still showed no signs of awareness for the five demons that lurked in hiding. His half-brother was seriously ailing._

_"Of course," Sesshoumaru spoke up. It seemed he would have to protect the boy until this mess was cleared. "How can anyone expect you to be a proper demon."_

_Inuyasha whipped around, his eyes bulging with rage and his teeth bared. "Don't you dig that shit up again."_

_"No. Why don't you?"_

_He took the bait._

_"I don't care if you were 'taking care of me like a proper demon child.' You abandoned me when I needed you the most! Mother told me to search for you so I searched high and low for so long that I could taste death on me. And when I finally found you, you beat the living daylights out of me! I was just a child! Do you know what happened after you left? I was hunted by demons! I trusted you like the dumbass that I was because Mother trusted you."_

_Ah, that memory, when sought, always came back as fresh as if it had happened yesterday._

_Sesshoumaru asked, "You were in search of a great demon, yet you expected to be coddled like a human child?"_

_"No!" Inuyasha snapped out. "An explanation would've helped!" He stomped and continued, "I am half-human! I was raised by humans! What the hell did you think I would think when you swooped down and attacked me?"_

_"Submission would have offered you solace."_

_"I-" Inuyasha stopped as if to think about what he said. Then he barked a laugh. "I can't believe you! Did you not hear anything I just said? You beat the shit out of a kid who was desperate enough to start turning rocks to find you! Hell, I might as well have been dead when I found your slimy ass."_

_"Your wish to be coddled like a human child is insulting. Is this 'human treatment' your present wish?"_

_Inuyasha howled in frustration. "Why do I have to be related to this bastard!" he screamed, pulling at his hair. He turned around and continued on his way. "I am not putting up with your bullshit. Go get yourself killed so that I never have to see you again!"_

_He stopped as abruptly as he went. Sesshoumaru wondered if he was going to do something unexpected again. Though half of his blood was human, the other half was their father's. Their father had an uncanny knack for surprising Sesshoumaru, which seemed to have been passed down to Inuyasha._

_The Lord of the West despised it._

_A pulse of pink energy coursed through Inuyasha, starting from his heart. His heart rate picked up until it was racing. Sesshoumaru held breath, automatically preparing for the unexpected. If his brother had been cursed by a human yet again or by some unknown entity, then Inuyasha needed help, which meant Sesshoumaru would have to stick around. As much as they didn't get along, the half-breed was his last kin and he was loath to find himself digging a grave any time soon for the boy. Their father would roll in his own grave at that._

_A second energy wave pulsed through Inuyasha. The boy quickly turned to the horizon, his eyes growing wide and then wider. Sesshoumaru glanced at the horizon himself, seeing the sunset and nothing more._

_Just as suddenly as Inuyasha had stopped moving, a strong odor belted Sesshoumaru. The trail led his gaze back to Inuyasha where the odor came off in waves. For a moment, the aristocrat couldn't identify the scent. But that was short-lived because Sesshoumaru knew the scent well._

_Fear. It was thick and pungent and it was clinging to Inuyasha like a second skin. The Lord of the West had never been dealt this hand. Was his half-brother dying? The thought outraged him. His hand twitched toward Tenseiga. Inuyasha took one look at him and bolted into the forest full of blood-thirsty demons._

_The demon lord sighed, retracting his hand. There was no way his brother was dying with that much energy left. Inuyasha definitely had a way of making others...think differently._

_"You were born ignorant and you live as a miserable half-demon. How you have survived this long is a mystery."_

_He took to the air, releasing his demonic energy on the lesser demons around him and flaying some of them alive. They screeched in agony and gave him a wide berth. None but he could take the half-demon's life, and all who were witness to this day's events would know that._

_Inuyasha ran in zigzags, bushes and twigs snagging his hair and slicing his cheeks. He rushed beneath the underbrush and jumped over fallen trees. Sesshoumaru flew above at a leisurely pace._

_The boy pushed through thick foliage and smashed into a spindly branch that cut his chest and knocked him backwards with a cry of pain. He hit the floor and rolled down the bumpy hill into a sea of leaves. Disappearing beneath them, it took two breaths for him to break through the surface and gather himself. He was gasping and clutching his chest with a pained expression._

_"What the hell is this place?" he asked._

_Sesshoumaru wanted to know as well. The farther Inuyasha waded, the deeper the pile of leaves became until it was so deep that all that remained above was Inuyasha's head. It seemed like Inuyasha could not wade through it fast enough. When he finally crawled out of the leaves and climbed the hill at the opposite end of Sesshoumaru, he met the thicket again and sprinted onward._

_The sun was gone and night had come swiftly. Inuyasha ran into trees and branches but he didn't stop. He tripped over roots and stones but he got right back up and continued running. Each encounter left a splatter of blood behind. His frenzy was so chaotic that the aristocrat wondered if he was doing it on purpose. By the time Sesshoumaru remembered why he had sought the boy in the first place, the area reeked of Inuyasha's blood. Where once the half-demon had only smelled more human than normal, he now smelled like a full-blooded human._

_Sesshoumaru stood astounded. Once again, the blasted half-breed had silenced him._

_Inuyasha was completely vulnerable. No fire-rat, no Tessaiga, and no demonic energy. He was the perfect prey for hungry demons. How did their great father birth such a stupid boy?_

_The human skidded down a steeper hill uncontrollably. The hard dirt stripped and burned the skin off of his feet. A cliff was looming up ahead and he was headed straight to it. Sesshoumaru would have to save him. There was no way around it._

_"Damn you, Inuyasha," he hissed. "You shall pay for forcing this Sesshoumaru's hand."_

_The demon lord flew down and grabbed the back of the boy's shirt, bringing them aloft._

_"Let me go!" Inuyasha yelled, trying to grab his arm while moving every which way to free himself._

_They landed and Sesshoumaru pinned him to a tree, his clawed hand splayed directly above the human's heart. He hummed like the predator that he was. "A human on the night of the new moon. Such striking revelation."_

_Inuyasha froze._

_"Why such a long face, little brother?" He leaned down and brushed his cheek against the boy's, placing his nose at the back of Inuyasha's ear and taking a long sniff. "You reek of fear." Leaning back, he stared grimly at the blood-covered human. "And you reek of the calling."_

_Inuyasha's heart pounded rapidly, but he kept his breaths even as he spoke. "What the hell are you talking about? What do you want from me?"_

_"Calm yourself. We have long ceased this repugnant rivalry. Yet...how low you have fallen to require this Sesshoumaru's protection." He nodded his head sideways and Inuyasha followed the direction. Several red eyes met the boy's, but they scattered into the darkness when Sesshoumaru lashed out with his demonic energy. The human curled into himself, trapped between Sesshoumaru's body and the large trunk of a tree._

_Inuyasha voiced, "I know I'm not that far away from Kaede's village. Why did you come here?"_

_"You must be made aware of Father's blood which flows in your veins."_

_The boy fixed him with a suspicious glare._

_Sesshoumaru continued, "The call is weak to many bloodlines for they, too, are weak. Father's blood, however, is the purest of all royal-bred. It will destroy you when the calling begins."_

_"Well, then, why don't you quit your jabbering and get to the point already?"_

_The great demon pulled his lips back in disgust. "This Sesshoumaru should have ignored your petty existence. Regardless, you must find a demon worthy of your soul and bind its soul to yours. You have reached your limit and the call will be upon you. Had your human blood any self-preservation, this Sesshoumaru would not have seen you at your weakest." He released Inuyasha and stepped away. "Come. There is someone you should see. Do not flee, for you will not escape."_

_Inuyasha stayed rooted to his spot. Foolish half-breed. Bakusen'O would have had answers for him._

_"Time is what you do not have, Inuyasha. You must call when the desire comes."_

_"I don't know what you're going on about so maybe you should just shut your big mouth and leave me alone."_

_Ignorance must be bliss. Sesshoumaru felt an oncoming headache._

_"Is that your answer?" he asked. "You will live with these humans instead of taking what is rightfully yours?"_

_Inuyasha stayed silent. Infuriating as always._

_"Do what you wish. However, remember that our blood is unique. It shall come for you when you least expect it. Then, this Sesshoumaru shall see the fruits of your efforts, for you are a strong and determined half-demon." He could guarantee that he was the one who sowed those seeds of determination, but that was a memory he found more distasteful each time he recalled it. Now, Sesshoumaru would do what he must in order to see the results of Inuyasha's calling._

_He would stay by the boy's side tonight and keep him alive._

The Lord of the West circled the silent scene for any hidden activities. He had not cared to notice any differences in Inuyasha's physical features back then, so now he was left wondering what the boy looked like on the night of the new moon, or if there had been any changes at all. Inuyasha still had his silver hair on that night, though he had clung to it as if it would fall off. Aside from that, Sesshoumaru had simply refused to look at him again because his human blood had smote the demon lord's senses. His blood too closely resembled his human mother's.

"Wretched wench," he muttered. "For you to be Father's mate... What secret did you take to your grave? You could not have received his call if you were weaker than him. What is it that you have passed onto your son, Izayoi?"

He glanced into the deep darkness as his skin began to tingle from raw energy. Someone was trying to invade his mind. Insolent buffoon. He would crush the parasite quickly. It was time for him to awaken.

But for what reason was he sleeping in the first place?

He drew his demonic energy around himself and slowly eased into consciousness. Soon, he would tear his invader from limb to limb and drag out the answers that he desired. He woke into a half-conscious state. Sleep was heavy upon him and left no more room for wakefulness, but it was enough for him to reason. His heavy-lidded gaze fell on red-clad legs.

The other being sat down so that they were eye-level. Fully clothed in red, long black mane, violet eyes. Was that a beaded necklace? Man, woman, demon, or spirit, Sesshoumaru did not know yet. However, the being's posture was straight and confident, the gaze calm and collected, an air of magic sparking Sesshoumaru's bedchambers.

Insolence!

The being asked in a reserved manner, "Who are you? Why do you call me here?"

Sesshoumaru startled.

"Inuyasha," he realized.

As if saying his name had released a concealment spell, the boy's features became agonizingly sharp. Tessaiga was missing. The fire-rat and his red pants looked ready to glow on him. His raven hair shone under the moonlight. His violet eyes were filled so deeply with emotions that they threatened to wrench the Lord of the West inside. And the beaded necklace that the wretched human girl had cast upon Inuyasha... It glowed with demonic energy. A thunderous force of demonic energy was oozing from Inuyasha himself. But everything about him was human. Especially those rounded ears by the side of his head.

What manner of magic was this?

The boy's expression morphed into one of wonder, of awe—an expression that rapidly carded apart all of the vile tangles that was Sesshoumaru and left behind a thump, thump, thump-hearted Sesshoumaru who had only seen this honest, worshipping expression once before he crushed it with a mighty hand. It cracked his composure.

"Are you my brother?" Inuyasha asked quietly.


	5. 2 - Kouga's Awakening

******Disclaimer:** All InuYasha Cast © Rumiko Takahashi.

**Dedicated to:** the awesome writer, Hella!

**Chapter 2:** Kouga's Awakening

There was an old bedtime saying that the elders used to whisper when Kouga was growing up. It was supposed to scare the little ones into behaving, which it did. And frankly, Kouga had thought it was stupid even when he was a pup. But now, the words carried weight. They blared in his mind like an unsettling mantra.

_"When the moon rises, close your mouth and close your eyes. Cover your ears and hide your tail. If you don't, the demon will steal your soul."_

The words trapped him in a nightmarish, dreamless sleep, until he forced himself to wake. A bitter frost cradled his body, bringing convulsive shivers that disoriented him. He tried to wrap his arms around himself for warmth, but they were immobile.

_"The demon will steal your soul."_

Though he was semi-aware, enough to understand that those words held no meaning to his current being, a paralyzing fear numbed him. Why were the words nauseating? Why did they sound so final? Real? Happening? And what was that constant murmuring in the background?

_"...**your** soul."_

_"Shut up!"_ he wanted to scream. He tried to gather his wits.

_"...**your s**..."_

"No..." he croaked weakly, willing himself to get up and out of there. He rose halfway before the effort drained him. So he gave up and let himself fall back down. "Ow, that hurts!" He blew out a sigh. His awareness grew. His fear subsided. But the murmuring was still there. In fact, the more he focused, the more it sounded like talking. And this talking was quiet and feverish, creating a constant murmur in the background.

"What happened to me?!" it said. "Why do I look like this?" The murmuring died for a moment. "A demon... I look like a _monster!_ Did he do this? Is this a joke?! Dammit, of course that bastard did this. It's all fun and games to him. I'm gonna wring his little demon neck when I see him."

Kouga was curious. Oh, despite his earlier, irrational fear, and his sudden loss of strength, Kouga was deathly curious about what all this talking was about. He slowly willed himself to sit up. This time, his energy returned fully, almost knocking him back down from the force of it. The murmuring continued on but he couldn't understand the words anymore. More disturbing, however, were the floating lights in front of him that were as thin as paper, scattered from the ground to the black ceiling. Each light looked to be as wide as a finger and half as tall as he was. They all flowed in several lines of swirly patterns, filling up the large, stone, cylindrical chamber. And from the looks of it, this chamber had no doors.

Was the exit...up, then?

He looked up and saw nothing but darkness.

"Damn," he mumbled. "This place is deep. How the hell did I get in here? And what the hell are those things?"

He got up and walked around, examining the thin slips of light before poking one. It jumped and shuddered, making a shattering noise that was so loud that it hurt his ears and made them ring. The light paused. It returned to its original place.

Kouga winced and rubbed his ears. "Where the hell am I? Maybe if I destroyed these things..."

His instincts shouted at the very idea. He rubbed his neck nervously.

"Okay... So no destroying them. Well, then, how the hell do I get out of here?"

He scanned the room and a pink light caught him. Drawn to it, he went to it and reached for it. Before he even touched it, the slip shone and rushed at him. He jerked back, but it was already swirling up his arm and snaking its way down his entire body, squeezing him tightly. He gasped. The pink light flashed, making him see colorful dots.

When the tightness receded, he shook his head and opened his eyes to an entirely different setting.

He was in a human palace, many of the shoji screens left opened to view the flower garden where koi fish swam in a pond that was decorated with lily pads, lotuses, and rocks. A woman with long black hair, dressed in a pink kimono, played a koto. The music was beautiful, soothing. Yet Kouga realized with dawning dread that he was very, very short. As if he had been turned into a child.

His body moved on its own and ran up to the woman, asking, "Mother, will you teach me how to play?"

Kouga was petrified.

A strong love and tenderness for the woman sprang in his chest—_these are __**not my**__ feelings!_ The beautiful human smiled and touched his cheek. Her violet eyes gleamed mischievously.

"So _you_ are the one," she said.

Kouga felt shock—_the little boy's shock_—as his mouth asked, "Mother?"

She closed her eyes and strummed a few strings, her smile growing. "I implore you to bring happiness to my son, Inuyasha."

This time, Kouga was shocked with the most daunting feeling that she was speaking directly to him, while the little boy was confused and tilted his head to the side. "Who are you talking about, Mother?"

She gave him a knowing glance. "One day, he will be the one to always stay by your side."

"You mean...a friend? Forever?"

"Yes. He will be much, much more if you let him."

"Then I want him to be much, much, much, much more! Can I meet him now?"

"Not yet. It will take time."

"Oh... Okay..." Kouga hunched over sullenly.

"Come now. Wipe that sad look off your pretty face. Let us play the koto together."

Kouga's lips pulled back into a wide smile—_the boy's lips, not mine!_ "Really? Okay!"

He ran around the instrument and gently settled in the woman's lap. Kouga put his hands out, hovering over the koto. Then he looked up behind him at her face, awaiting instruction.

"Ready, Inuyasha?" Her smile was gentle.

"Ready!" His smile was exuberant.

The woman enveloped his hands in her own. Then there was a flash of light and Kouga was back in the cylindrical chamber, wrapped tightly in the pink slip of light. It unfurled around him and hovered uncertainly. It slithered to its original spot, its pink light dimming down to become a transparent, vacant light like the rest of the slips.

The warm feelings toward the woman still swished around in his chest.

"That can't be what I think it is," he whispered breathlessly. He stumbled backward. "Maybe this place has something from everyone... That has to be it!"

Turning around, he saw a few more slips that shone more brightly from the others—a blue one, a purple one, and a white one. He went to the purple one and watched in trepidation as it jolted violently to his proximity. He reached out and held his breath.

"Here goes nothing."

It slithered up his arm calmly, readily going for his entire body. From his peripheral vision, he saw a swift movement of blue coming toward him. He wrenched away in alarm, the purple light pulling taut as the blue light aggressively wrapped him up. The flashes were dizzying, leaving dots in his vision as he struggled to focus on his new surroundings.

He smelled the powerful presence of none other than Lord Sesshoumaru, but he pretended to be ignorant. The sun was setting. He "accidentally" stumbled through the bushes and spotted a small stash of small-cut meat and berries by the riverbank, collected nicely on a single, large leaf. Kouga felt his body jump excitedly, exaggerating wide-arm movements in cheer while a large smile was plastered on his face. It was all so Lord Sesshoumaru would notice him.

The moment the demon's presence faded, helpless sadness filled Kouga. He sniffed and cried silently.

_'He __**does**__ care—_I can hear the boy's thoughts?!_ He's __**my**__ brother.'_ He laughed and whined, sobbing. _'Why can't __**we**__ be together? Is he not the one, Mother?'_

The scene morphed, and Kouga briefly caught a glimpse of blue light dying out as purple light grew until the entire setting changed. He was still crying, but this one was of deep, deep despair and loneliness. It was nighttime. It was raining. His hands hurt, his back hurt, and blood was caked and oozing beneath his tiny claws. He saw the pale face of the beautiful human woman in the pink kimono as he pushed dirt and mud over her face. When he was done, all that was left was a long mound of dirt.

He had buried his mother.

He sluggishly carried a heavy stone plaque and placed it a few inches from her head. Then he placed some white and yellow, half-wilted flowers in front of the plaque. _Izayoi_, it read, each character carved carefully into the stone. He looked out to the nearby lake.

"Mother," he whispered. He wept silently. "I'm scared of dying alone."

There was that flash of light that signaled his return. The image disappeared. And Kouga knew that he was asleep. Perhaps it was because two different lights had caught him that last time. Or perhaps he was exhausted. He didn't remember falling asleep. Whatever the case, he never wanted to wake up again unless he was waking to the real world.

He floated in a void, seeing nothing at all. For a long time, he was suspended in that plane. Then a familiar voice called out to him. He wanted to answer, but he couldn't. So he drifted upward. Higher. And higher still. Extremely afraid. He desperately wanted to call for help.

The voice said, "You're waking up. I can't stop you from waking up."

"Inuyasha!" he gasped out like a fish on land when he woke, clutching his chest as if it was on fire. The murmuring was back. There was shuffling fabric as well. Kouga sat up quickly, prepared to leap away from any lights that would attack him. He stopped everything, frozen at the sight before him.

At the center of the cylindrical room were the lights, all gathered into a wide cylinder that nearly blocked a figure from sight. The lights floated from the ground to the endless ceiling. They were broken into rows. They were neatly lined up against each other and glided around the figure like a ceaseless dream. In short bursts, they would expand and allow a clearer view of the person. Then they would contract and nearly block him out again.

Kouga knew who was inside that cylinder as he stared hard at him. "Inuyasha?" he questioned.

The half-demon was mumbling madly; he was that constant murmur. He paced and checked his claws, his dog ears, his hair, and his toes. Then he straightened and paced again, mumbling. "Stupid, damn, dim-witted, arrogant, bone-headed, insensitive, ruthless, no sense of humor, bloody, damned demon. I'll wring his little neck when I see him! I look like a damn monster. Sick, sick joke. What an ass! Playing with me like this... Took my damn body... Kill him when I see him! Stick Tessaiga in him..."

Completely derailed, Kouga blinked confusedly. He had no idea what was going on anymore. So he asked the one question that stood at the forefront of his mind.

"Inuyasha," he called out loudly, catching the half-demon's attention. "Why do you think you look like a monster?"

The other man jumped back defensively, glowering at him and yelling, "Who the hell are you and how do you know my name?"

"...what?" he asked. All of this confusion was making him angry. But wait... There was something more. A strong sensation was prickling at the back of his mind. There was the oddest...oddest... "Say..." he trailed off for a long moment, which filled with silence and apprehension from the half-demon. "...I think I'm looking for something, but I don't remember." Inuyasha continued to glower at him, and when he made eye contact... There! _There_ was the _oddest feeling ever_. Kouga couldn't describe it, but it was suddenly digging around in his chest. It tickled and hurt and made him want to laugh and it brought a frightening sense of urgency. His words tumbled out of his mouth before he even understood them. "Will you come with me?"

Taken aback, Kouga's eyes widened almost comically as he snapped his mouth shut.

"Ahh?" Inuyasha raised his voice. "Fat chance! If you were dumb enough to forget it, you're just full of shit."

Kouga was still mystified by his request, but annoyance settled in and he found himself egging the half-breed on. "Look, dog-turd. For once, why don't we just set aside our differences and work together? Is that so much to ask for?"

Inuyasha bared his teeth. "Yeah, that's a lot to ask for, you mangy wolf! Who the hell are you anyway?"

He rolled his eyes and growled. "Stop it. That's not funny." But then he paused and thought. And as he thought, he realized he wasn't sure what the hell was going on. And all of this confusion was making his head hurt! "That's a terrible joke, dog-breath. Where the hell are we?" He pointed to the lights around the half-breed. "And what... What the hell are _those?_"

Inuyasha didn't answer him. Instead, the half-breed watched him. And he watched. And he continued to watch until Kouga realized with a start that Inuyasha's eyes were emerald, the white of his eyes completely red, and one jagged purple stripe covered each cheek.

Inuyasha said with certainty, "_You_ are the one?"

Kouga was dumbfounded. Inuyasha looked like a demon, but he smelled like a full-blooded human. He asked, "What happened to you? Your looks and your scent...don't..._fit_." Kouga took another glance around the cylindrical chamber. There were no doors. How did Inuyasha get in here? "Where are we?"

The man replied, "A question I can answer. We," and here, he held his arms up, turning in a full circle to gesture to this chamber, "are in my bedroom."

The wolf prince growled. "Stop playing around, dog-turd!" The way Inuyasha just stared back at him unsettled him. It was damn unnatural. Kouga stepped into a defensive position. "You're not Inuyasha. Who the hell are you?"

The demon—_human?—_nodded. "Another question I can answer. I am the keeper of this room." His lips twitched upward.

So that demon-human thing that looked like Inuyasha could only answer questions that he had answers to. Kouga glared. "Why am I here? How did I get here?"

Inuyasha's faint smile stretched. "You've caught on quick. Only _the one_ can pass through the gates. You walked yourself right in here."

"How?"

Inuyasha's smile turned into a full-blown, vicious grin, his elongated fangs glinting under all of the lights. "Why, by becoming mine, of course. You _are_ the one, after all."


	6. 3 - Inuyasha's Time

******Disclaimer:** All InuYasha Cast © Rumiko Takahashi.

**Dedicated to:** the awesome writer, Hella!

**Chapter 3:** Inuyasha's Time

_Out in the dark night, he was wet from head to toe and his dripping hair chilled his back. He was spreading his wet shirts on a boulder, and a voice was whispering. The sound did not affect him as he turned from the boulder and zeroed in on a purple color._

_He growled menacingly. "Stinkin' monk."_

_"Inuyasha!" A green color stood from the boiling pot and stomped its foot, wagging a wooden spoon at him. "Watch what you say around ...!"_

_"Yeah, dog-boy," a brown color taunted as the green one rummaged around the campsite and continued making their meal._

_"It was an accident," the purple one pleaded, raising its hands. "Besides, you've been so cranky lately that I figured you needed some fun."_

_Inuyasha noticed that the pink color was watching him silently, as if it was also expecting something from him. He suddenly felt a headache. "You call falling in that swamp fun?" he asked. "Oh ho, I'll make you eat your words when I get my strength back."_

_The green one sighed and wagged the spoon again. "Would you quit your whining already? We haven't seen any awful demons for months. You've been snapping at us all day every day, so I agree with ... What's gotten into you anyway?"_

_The whispering was still in the background. It had no effect on any one of them._

_"Yeah, Inuyasha," the brown one piped up. "Why do you always have to be a party-pooper?"_

_He rolled his eyes and cursed them under his breath. He pulled a long black item to his chest._

_**'It's important,'** _he realized._ **'A dream... It's just a dream. I'm just dreaming...'**_

_He turned his back to them and asked, "Who's keeping watch?" They never understood. Rarely tried to._

_The purple one spoke, "Me. And of course the lovely... Oh, Inuyasha, don't give me that over-the-shoulder look! You know we'll keep everyone safe. You can rest easy tonight."_

_He heaved a sigh and crawled closer to his clothing, lying beside them. "You trying to convince me or yourself?"_

_The group continued their meal with a light conversation. Their small giggles lightened his heart, especially the green one's. Regardless, his pack was stupid. Years of telling them to hide on this night made them want to go out more often. They were so...uncooperative when the time called for it the most._

_He had little time to relish his peace as, like everything else that had gone wrong in his life, the night soured quickly. The attack was swift. He was flung into a tree, the resounding crack and impact bringing stars to his eyes. The campfire sparked the campsite as he dropped to the ground like a rock._

_"...!" he called to the green one, gasping. He shook his head to clear the haze in his vision. He tried to get to his feet._

_**"Inuyasha,"** the whispering said._

_"Foolish half-breed," a blue color spoke._

_He shot up from his spot, ready to strike the color. His vision was still hazy. Shredded fabric and the contents of a destroyed backpack littered one side of the camp._

_"...!" he called out again. He vaguely made out the green color standing behind the pink one that was hunched over. A large yellow color laid under a broken boomerang. The yellow color was unmoving, yet shielding the brown color. Farther to the left was the purple one in a fetal position, a staff cut cleanly in half. Inuyasha shook his head to clear the haze, but it remained._

_"...?" the green one directed to the blue one. The tone said it all. The green one now understood that it had been a mistake to leave the village on this night. "What are you doing here?"_

_**"Listen to me,"** the whispering said._

_In one swift movement, Inuyasha recoiled as metal pierced his gut, sharp, deep, and gouging as the blue one twisted the blade. Inuyasha squinted at the horrified green and pink colors. When the blue one pulled away, Inuyasha fell flat on his side and peered up at the weapon._

_"...?" he breathed out. His lungs felt heavy at the mere thought, his gut wrenching as blood pooled from the area. "You stabbed me with...with ...?"_

_"What is the meaning of this?" the pink one screamed. "We thought you two called a truce. ... has been dead for many moons. Why attack now?"_

_"We need to talk," the blue one said as it pulled the sword out and whipped the blade, splattering the blood across the land._

_The blue one sheathed the sword and hoisted Inuyasha by the neck. With just that touch, the stabbing pain in his stomach disappeared. He gasped and coughed, his hands wrapping around the blue one's wrist._

_**"When all is lost..."**_

_He briefly realized that the sword's reviving property prevented it from causing lasting pain._

_"Why are you doing this, ...?" the green one asked._

_**"...be cautious of whom you beseech..."**_

_The scene rewinded. Where once the important black object had been out of site after the attack, it now lay clutched in Inuyasha's hands as he fell back. The forest was swirling. The night sky grew darker. The nearby river flooded his ears with its rampant tides._

_Once he hit the ground, the blue one's sword merely stuck out of his gut as he laid stunned and staring. Their campfire blazed and licked at his torn red kimono. He thought the shock from this night would eat out his heart._

_The blue color filled his vision as it pulled out its sword._

_"I thought you two called a truce after ...'s death," the green one said._

_**"...for you will seal two fates,"** the whispering said._

_His comrades stood around uncertainly. Their weapons were at the ready, the staff intact, the boomerang intact. 'Because they're stupid humans,' Inuyasha thought. But they would still defend him at the cost of their lives. He had fixed that problem a long time ago; he had forbade them from stepping into his long-living feud against the blue color. He had screamed at the green one, who didn't understand the laws of the demons that strictly bound even him. He had asked the green one if it was willing to insult him so._

_The blue one turned to the green one and scrutinized it._

_Perhaps, for the first time in Inuyasha's life, it was his human state that allowed him to see the unfathomable—because the blue one was a wicked, horrible being with a heart as cold as ice and a mind set on supreme conquest. The longer Inuyasha laid there, the longer he observed the tiny movements in the blue one's brow. Inuyasha's gut twisted with a nasty feeling of nausea and recognition; he had seen many faces that mirrored the blue one's._

_The blue color bent down and wrenched Inuyasha's black object from his grip. Sparks clapped against the blue one's hand, searing the blue one's flesh. Inuyasha saw, for only a moment, how the blue one hesitated before tossing the object into a faraway tree. The item clacked against the tree and fell into the bushes._

_"We need to talk," the blue one all but mumbled. With a quick swoop, it grabbed Inuyasha's neck and raised him from the ground._

_**"Silence your disputes,"** the whispering said._

_"What?" Inuyasha choked out. "What the hell do you want?"_

_The blue one walked him over to the nearby cliffside. Inuyasha gasped as he was hung over the ravine. A small stream of poison misted from the blue one's hand, just enough to heat up and irritate Inuyasha's skin. He gripped the blue one's arm like a lifeline._

_"Cut it out, you bastard," he growled out. "You're doing that on purpose."_

_The blue one almost whispered, "You should listen more often, ..."_

_**"...for silence will be your salvation."**_

_"Don't call me that," he retorted. He kicked the blue one's shin. "Listen to what? You're not saying anything."_

_A full-fledged human up against a full-fledged demon? He kicked the same shin again, just to relieve some anger. The blue one didn't react. The pressure on his neck was becoming unbearable. Inuyasha grunted and pulled his leg back for another kick._

"Hear me."

_Inuyasha paused. His gaze slipped down the blue color, knowing that it was not physically speaking to him._

"You do not belong here."

_"What the hell?" he exclaimed. He jerked back and clawed at the blue one's arm. Its venom sizzled against his neck, stealing his breath. "What're you doing? Why do I hear you in my head?" At the sound of a creaking bow, he swiveled his attention and glared at the notched arrow. "Put that thing down right now!"_

_"...!" the green one yelled. "Let him go."_

_"Dammit, ...!" he yelled back. "Why can't you take a god damn hint and run the hell away? You don't stand a chance."_

_The scene rewinded._

_The blue one held him by the neck. It spoke in his mind. _"You do not belong here, dear ..."

_"Don't call me that," he retorted._

_There were no poisonous snipes in the blue one's words. Inuyasha's terror breached levels he'd never before experienced. The world was going to turn itself inside out. He was sure. He didn't realize he was hyperventilating until the blue one spoke again._

"Calm yourself."

_The soothing baritone increased his terror. His heart beat wildly as he dug his blunt nails into his hurting chest._

"Hear me, demon,"_ the blue one was whispering._

_A scorching heat filled Inuyasha's chest as he howled in pain. His heart was going to explode!_

_The scene rewinded._

"As Lord of the ..."

_The scene rewinded._

"... believed that you would listen to your instincts. ... has placed too much trust in you."

_The scene rewinded._

_"Listen to what?" he snapped. "You're not saying anything and you're god damn playing with me."_

_The scene rewinded._

_"...!" the green one yelled. "Let him go."_

_"Dammit, ...!" he yelled back. "Why can't you take a god damn hint and run the hell away? You don't stand a chance."_

_In an instant, the blue one's poison sprayed Inuyasha's face. Screaming, he clutched his burning eyes as the venom sizzled up his nose, in his ears, and down his throat. He flexed his fingers to scratch at his eyes when he was lurched forward and flung at such a speed that his mind spun._

"You must live long,"_ the blue one insisted._

_The green one screamed. The pink one screamed. The purple one called out weakly. And a shining arrow streaked across the yellowing sky._

_He plummeted into the ravine, angry screams reaching him. A loud clash of metal shook the winds._

"You cannot do that with these humans."

_He crashed into icy cold water._

Inuyasha lurched up in fright, his eyes open to darkness and silence. He cast his wild gaze around, coughing and hacking as he gingerly touched his aching face and ran his fingers down his throbbing neck. _'Dear god,'_ he thought.

His eyes stung. His throat throbbed. His ears heard nothing. And his nose smelled nothing.

Shooting away from his spot, he swayed uncontrollably as he fumbled for balance. His mind flared and, suddenly, his ears felt like they were going to pop. He tried to massage his hurting ears, but his balance was so off-kilter that he poked himself several times before he found them. And when he did find them, the round human flesh had his heart banging against his ribcage.

_'No, no, no...'_ he thought. _'No... No way in hell!'_

He was human. He was blind as a bat, mute as a rock, deaf as a knob, and utterly without a sense of smell. He huddled into himself.

_'What's going on?'_

He weakly scurried about to find a corner, an enclosed space, to burrow himself into.

_'Where am I?'_

His right hand entered a scalding heat and he shot back in pain, clutching it to his chest.

_'What the hell is going on?! I don't understand. I don't understand! My name is Inuyasha. My name is Inuyasha. I'm not supposed to be human. I'm supposed to be...! I'm supposed to be... Why am I so god damn afraid that I'm human? It's killing me. Just who the hell am I?'_

At the light pressure of a grip on his shoulder, he jolted into his huddled position in fright.

_'Another human? A demon? A...demon? ...demon...?'_

He scrambled away as quickly as possible. His sense of danger spiked so high that he reeled and slammed his head against rocks—or was that wood? Demons... Humans... That's right.

_'Humans are weak. Demons are not.'_

Though his head was killing him, his legs pushed him backward until he hit a hard wall.

He recalled the blue color. The black object. His burning kimono.

_'Why is this happening to me? Am I dying?'_

The other being didn't touch him again.

He didn't move an inch as time elapsed. He clutched his aching hand like a lifeline. Was this how all his hardships were going to end? What were his hardships to begin with? He'd rather spear himself on... Why would he spear himself on a sword whose name he could not remember, rather than go through this?

He paused, his tense muscles unconsciously relaxing.

_'What have I done to...deserve this? Was I...horrible? Did I do...terrible things? Unspeakable things? Am I... Am I...a rotten person?'_

He felt like he could rot at once. Had he run away after he committed an unspeakable act? Was the other person in on it with him? Was the other person an innocent bystander who just happened to find him?

But wait... Humans. Demons. He was human. _'Why am I human?'_ What was the other person?

_'Why...? Why would I remember only these terrible things?'_

Humans. Demons. The blue color. The black object. His burning kimono.

Time stretched. His nerves were on edge. The slight chill from earlier was settling in. And now that he was more self-aware, that slight chill had become unbearably frosty. When the temperature dropped even lower and forced his jaws into a clacking nonsense, he wondered if it would kill him.

He jumped when a heavy, blanket-like material hit him and covered him whole. He sat even more still, plastered to the wall behind him. But then the time kept passing, and, nerves on end or not, he wanted to know why the material on him seemed to be getting heavier. He cautiously touched the object.

_'It's hard,'_ he thought, surprised. He removed his hand from underneath the material so only his fingertips were visibly touching the top side. He brushed what felt like fur, his thumb moving across the rougher underside. _'A fur pelt?'_

He didn't examine it more than that. Only when his body started feeling warmer did he realize how warm he'd become. His fingers were so numb that, even his right hand which had burned earlier—he suspected he had stuck it in fire—now stung with both the heat and the cold. The pelt around him grew heavier and heavier until it became so burdensome that he struggled for breath.

But he was warm.

Which led him to two things: one, the pelt was too heavy for a human to lug around, so, two, Inuyasha was sitting with a demon. And Inuyasha, as much as his memory failed him, knew down to his bones that no demon would cast away such a heavy pelt, because it guaranteed survival under the harshest weathers.

Inuyasha was sitting with a _demon_—one who had tossed aside its survival pelt as easily as the blue one had tossed aside the important black object. And what for?

_'For me,'_ he realized.


End file.
